2003 Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants-State Awards

PR/Award No.: P336A030001

Applicant Name: Republic of the Marshall Islands
Date Range: 10/1/2003 – 9/30/2006
Total Funds Awarded: $4,298,120

ED Program Contact: Price, Kathy

The Republic of the Marshall Islands’ project has four elements: Teacher
Qualification/Pedagogical Improvement; Teacher Productivity Improvement; New Teacher
Improvement and Teacher Reward Systems Improvement. A major element of the proposal is to
fast track completion of two-year degrees in education with minimal target of all teachers with
two-year degrees by 2008. This will occur by increasing the number of teachers in full-time
study to 50 per year, and creating a new “Teacher Corps” of young Marshallese high school
graduates to replace them at least partially. Professional development of qualified teachers will
be encouraged; efforts to change the teaching culture will also be undertaken, so that teachers see
themselves as key to success for future generation. Efforts will also be undertaken to combat
teacher absenteeism.
PR/Award No.: P336A030002
Applicant Name: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning
Date Range: 10/1/2003 – 9/30/2006
Total Funds Awarded: $7,875,567
ED Program Contact: Sharon Easterling

The Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning seeks to raise student achievement
in the long-term by implementing the following systemic teacher reforms over the funded period:
1. Increasing the number of teachers certified by establishing, expanding or improving
alternate pathways to state certification for highly qualified individuals;
2. Developing and implementing short- and long-term mechanisms to ensure high-need
LEA’s and schools are able to effectively recruit highly qualified teachers;
3. Increasing retention and effectiveness of new teachers by providing intensive support and
development opportunities during the first five years of teaching experience, and
4. Developing and piloting effective mechanisms to reward teachers whose students have
made significant progress towards high academic performance. These mechanisms
include performance-based compensation systems and access to ongoing professional
development opportunities for teachers and administrators.
PR/Award No.: P336A030004
Applicant Name: State of Arizona/Governor’s Office
Date Range: 10/1/2003 – 9/30/2006
Total Funds Awarded: $8,174,800
ED Program Contact: Price, Kathy

The Arizona Teacher Excellence Plan details a plan for impacting teacher recruitment,
preparation and retention issues of the Arizona schools and districts, while prioritizing the
staffing needs of schools in Enterprise Communities and on Arizona Indian Reservations. The
Project will address two primary issues: 1) preparation and continued professional development
of teachers, and 2) greater individual and institutional accountability. The project will seek to
establish:
• Local approach to recruitment emphasizing a “grow-your own” strategy to increase and
diversify the pool of highly qualified teachers;
• Research-based statewide induction program that includes mentoring for beginning
teachers;
• State plan for coordinating and providing high quality professional development
opportunities for all teachers, and
• Teacher data system that provides information about shortages, teacher quality and
performance and that can be used to inform data-driven decisions.
PR/Award No.: P336A030008
Applicant Name: Republic of Palau
Date Range: 10/1/2003 – 9/30/2006
Total Funds Awarded: $462,000
ED Program Contact: Sharon Easterling

The Republic of Palau will revise, complete and implement the Standard-Based Professional
Certification and Performance System for Teachers in its public school system. The project will
promote Palau-wide teacher education reform activities through the linkage of K-12 and higher
education institutions and system policy and practice changes in areas such as teacher licensing
and certification, improved content knowledge for subject area preparation, improved teaching
skills, infusion of technology into curriculum and teaching, enhanced school-based experience,
extended monitoring of new teachers, meaningful accountability for teacher performance, and
high-quality professional development opportunities for new and existing teachers.
PR/Award No.: P336A030009
Applicant Name: New Hampshire Department of Education
Date Range: 10/1/2003 – 9/30/2006
Total Funds Awarded: $4,797,043
ED Program Contact: Sharon Easterling

The New Hampshire Department of Education will support a collaborative effort to improve and
streamline the system for recruitment, preparation and support of new teachers to ensure that
teacher candidates are better prepared and make teaching their long-term career. Through this
project, the State will strengthen a process of systemic change to support the employment
outlook for teacher candidates, address New Hampshire’s teacher shortage, better meet the needs
of the NCLB legislation for quality teachers, and enhance the capacity of all New Hampshire
communities to employ quality teachers.